Fabulous Furniture Makeovers (+ Dozens Of Tips!)

If you like garage sales and scouring salvage stores as much as I do, you might have a similar affinity for refinishing damaged furniture. I love the hunt, the thrill of the find, and the adventure you take to make it your own, to make a piece of found furniture perfect for your home.

Over the years spent collecting these new-to-me items, I’ve learned how to tell whether wood furniture is worth refinishing. Painting, staining, and distressing are common approaches for refinishing (even refinishing antiques), and it’s always amazing how a DIY process can make such an impact and bring new life to an old piece.

Most recently, I painted and distressed this cabinet/TV stand using a technique that embraced painting, staining, and distressing. The resulting finish is just incredible:

At a glance in natural daylight, the existing dark wooden surface was transformed into a finish that more so resembles light wood, like maple or ash.

The maintenance involved with rehabbing older wooden furniture allows us to share special pieces between generations. A little bit of TLC can transform something ordinary into heirloom-quality. Old table from your aunt? Learn how to refinish it as a pretty kitchen table. Coveting the midcentury chairs from Grandma’s living room? Get tips for refinishing midcentury chairs. Inherit large furniture? I think you’ll be inspired at this tutorial that shows you how to refinish an antique bookcase (you would not believe how dinged up this piece was at the start!)

The refinishing process doesn’t strictly apply to old furniture – sometimes you’ll decide that newer chairs look better in your home when transformed by a daring new color.

A distressed look lends nicely to homes that have a rustic style. To make a piece your own, you can learn more about distressing techniques here. Refinishing unfinished wood furniture sounds like an oxymoron, but believe it, it warrants its own tutorial. For tips on creating an antique finish <<< that’s a helpful video.

I haven’t even touched upon upholstering as part of the process in furniture refinishing (chairs and sofas can get a new lease on life too!). Learning how to refinish upholstered pieces requires different tools, but when you do it well, you’re left with a piece of furniture that’s next to new. If you’re looking to do these at home, learn how to strip furniture for upholstery. (I also think you’ll enjoy this tutorial on how to recover an upholstered chair).

I refinished two metal cabinets earlier this year that were installed indoors, but generally view refinishing metal furniture as a project that applies to outdoor furniture. Spray paint works wonders on metal, and it can hold up really well. (Of course, you’ll also want this in your back pocket: Step-by-step tips that will help you if your metal is really rusty.)

A few years ago I showed you how to spray paint a metal outdoor table and chairs, and this same table and chair set is still in use – it braves the elements and still looks just as good as the day I gave it new life (even the paint on the plastic seat panels have held up perfectly, and they’ve seen a lot of use).

For more tips on Furniture Rehab, check out this section of DIYNetwork.com.